gun safety and children

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Jul 30, 2011

Going by Erikson, off the top of my head, a 10 year old is in Industry vs Inferiority (ages 7-11). Generally, this stage is where a child starts to learn rules and social constructs. They enjoy things like board games that heavily utilize them. Erikson might say this is an age group that is perfect for teaching firearm safety because of strict rules and guidelines.
Piaget might say differently as the this stage requires concrete information to make rational decisions. The next stage, during adolescence, is where one can take hypothetical ideas and rationalize them.
Though each child develops at a different rate, some may be more mature than others. Depending on which theorist your subscribe to, you can argue either way.

Yes, exactly- it really is up for interpretation. Our book does not have a definitive Y/N on whether a child of that age should be taught to use a gun. It mentions gun safety, and (in a different section of the book) advises that adolescents take target practice if they are going to be hunting or using a gun.

I don't care about the points, but I really feel that this question is waaaaaaaay too subjective. When I questioned her, my nursing instructor simply said "it is developmentally inappropriate," but I just disagree.

I am not in favor of guns in households. I would never keep a gun in my house. But if I DID, I would teach my ten year old how to shoot and handle it, and then I would lock it up so they could never get to it.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Jul 30, 2011

I hope I'm not going to be thrown questions from out of left field in nursing school. : )

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you will get a ton of questions that are completely out of left field, not to mention poorly worded. It is SO annoying. I do very well in school, but I still get aggravated at these ridiculous questions.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Let me preface this by saying that I do NOT and would not ever keep guns in my house. However. . .
A question on my exam today asked if it was developmentally appropriate for a 10 year old to be taught to shoot a gun, if the parents owned firearms. Assuming the gun is kept locked up separately from the ammunition and that the child is taught NEVER to touch a gun without their parent, do you think that teaching a 10 year old to shoot a gun is appropriate?
I am going crazy trying to find evidence that backs up my position. Any references you guys could provide would be much appreciated. My personal opinion is that if firearms are in the house, part of gun safety is learning how to use the gun appropriately- which includes both NEVER EVER TOUCHING IT and how to safely shoot a gun under supervision. I can't find any scholarly references that agree or disagree with me, and certainly nothing that points to it being developmentally inappropriate.
Help!

My brother and I both grew up around guns, being that my dad was , now a retired Police Sgt. He always kept his firearms locked up because with two kids running around its just not safe to leave them unsecured.

However, he would have us help him clean them, reassemble them and get acquainted with them unloaded of course, so that the natural "curiosity" would not get the best of us if say it was left out of reach accidentally. i am almost 28 years old now, and it wasnt until my bf took me to a firing range a few years ago and taught me how to shoot a gun, and be really comfortable handling/using it. Up until that point i never laid a finger on any firearm.

Guns are tools, just like hammers, or saws or anything like that. They have negative consequences and need to be handled appropriately and respected, because misuse can result in grave consequences.

Just remember just as kiddos can harm themselves and others with guns, there are grown people who cant handle one and really shouldnt be on the same planet where a gun is present. LOL.

As for teaching a 10 year old gun safety, it depends on the kiddo..some are more mature than others.

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Never had a gun in the house growing up and we now have an antique hunting rifle that theoretically doesn't function (although ya never know). I do have friends and neighbors who do have guns and hunt and most teach their kids how to use firearms when they are about 8. Now, that being said, every child is different. There are some kids that have no sense of consequences and I would never want them near a gun. Fantastic, so then what happens when they go to a friend's house and see a small orificenal of hunting rifles and shotguns. I think most would agree that a child under the age of 6 may still have some "magical" thinking going on. They can't see death as a permanent condition. A ten year old would certainly understand death being permanent unless he has some developmental delays.

I do see all sorts of facebook pics of kiddos that are 7 and older using guns or being shown how to use a gun. I think it is a very responsible thing for a parent to do with there youngsters. So again, I wouldn't teach gun safety to a 6 year old but I definitely would teach a 10 year old if hunting was part of our lives.